Usher practices hitting his cues in anticipation of this Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, where he’ll be performing live on stage from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Ursh, decked out in black jeans, a black tee, and gray vest-hoodie, rehearses his choreography with a group of all-female backup dancers, who crowd around the “OMG” singer as he slices across the stage with a blue kerchief draped around his face.

“Usher didn’t even just next-level it. He took it to the level that comes after the next level. The penthouse level,” writes MTV Buzzworthy, who got a sneak peek of the rehearsals. “And speaking of levels, there’s a lot going on in Usher’s performance, so keep your eyes open. Though it’s pretty much impossible to miss those female dancers.”